Selecting Recovery Console Causes Computer to Stop Responding

ID: Q232948

This article discusses a Beta release of a Microsoft product. The information in this article is provided as-is and is subject to change without notice.

No formal product support is available from Microsoft for this Beta product. For information about obtaining support for a Beta release, please see the documentation included with the Beta product files, or check the Web location from which you downloaded the release.

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Windows 2000 Server
Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional
Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server
Microsoft Windows 2000 Datacenter Server

SYMPTOMS

When you try to use the Recovery Console option from the Windows 2000 Startup menu, your computer may stop responding (hang). Also, your monitor may display random characters and graphics.

CAUSE

This problem can occur if you installed Windows 2000 to a hard disk that is formatted with either the 16-bit or 32-bit File Allocation Table (FAT) file system, and then you convert to the Windows NT file system (NTFS).

RESOLUTION

To resolve this problem, re-install the Recovery Console from the Windows 2000 installation CD-ROM.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article.

MORE INFORMATION

When you install the Windows 2000 Recovery Console onto a hard disk that is formatted for either the FAT16 or FAT32 file systems, and then use Convert.exe to convert the drive to NTFS, the Command Console no longer runs. This happens because the file system specific boot files located in the c:\cmdcons folder that are used to run Recovery Console are not valid for a drive that has been converted to NTFS.
For additional information about the Recovery Console, click the article numbers below to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q233979 C:\Cmdcons Folder Deleted When Reinstalling Recovery Console

Q229716 Description of the Windows 2000 Recovery Console

Q216417 How to Install the Windows 2000 Recovery Console

Additional query words:

Keywords : kbenv kbtool ntstart
Version : WINDOWS:2000
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type : kbprb